1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ink cartridges. In particular, the present invention is related to ink cartridges which are configured to dispense ink when mounted in a printer.
2. Description of Related Art
A known ink cartridge is configured to be mounted to a mounting portion of a known recording apparatus, such as an ink-jet recording apparatus. The known ink cartridge has an ink chamber configured to store ink therein, a wall defining at least a portion of the ink chamber, and an ink supply portion positioned at the wall, which is configured to supply ink from the interior of the ink chamber to the exterior of the ink chamber. The ink supply portion extends outwardly from the wall. A resilient member is disposed within the ink supply portion. When the known ink cartridge contacts a surface, such as a floor, a portion of the impact of the ink cartridge contacting the surface may be absorbed by the resilient member.
Nevertheless, because the resilient member is disposed within the ink supply portion, an outer portion of the ink supply portion may be damaged when the ink supply portion contacts the surface, which may cause ink to leak from the ink supply portion. Moreover, if the ink cartridge contacts the surface at a position other than the ink supply portion, the ink cartridge may be damaged, and ink may leak from the ink cartridge.
Another known ink cartridge is configured to be mounted to an accommodating chamber of the known recording apparatus, and the accommodating chamber includes a door which is configured to be opened and closed. After the known ink cartridge is mounted to the accommodating chamber and the door is closed, the door may latch on to the ink cartridge to remove the ink cartridge from the accommodating chamber when the door is opened by a user, which increases the ease with which the ink cartridge may be removed from the accommodating chamber. Nevertheless, the user relies on the recording apparatus to remove the ink cartridge from the recording apparatus.